Ish Happens: DIY Home Maintenance and Repair

How to Repair Common Problems on Walls, Doors and Floors

Learn how to fix problems that can occur on most of the surfaces in your house. Annoying things like scratched floors, stained carpets, cracked tile, broken locks, leaky ceiling and more.

By Chris Hill, Chief's ShopMore in Windows Walls and Doors

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Scratched Wood Floor

We love hardwood floors, but they're not impervious to getting dinged up or scratched. An energetic dog or kids and their toys can rough up a wood floor pretty quick. Deep scratches come from bigger factors, such as dragging furniture without felt pads underneath. For surface scratches that just hit the finish, rub with the grain using steel wool or fine-grit (220-grit) sandpaper and apply a top coat (polyurethane) using a small brush. For deep scratches into the wood, fill the scratch with a wood filler that's as close to the color of the wood as possible, allow to cure, sand, and apply a finish.